Circle Journal Joy

My dear friend’s inspiration has evolved into something grand. Alexandra invited many of her Artfest sisters to join in on a collaborative altered book project. Since then the idea has become a circle journal with a group of about 15 gals making and sending their journals around the group each with a distinct theme.
I was [...]

Favorite Supplies

My favorite type of artistic expression is done in altered books or art journals. I move to a canvas on occasion, but have always loved the feel of books and journals and am always drawn back. I also feel very comfortable writing words on my art in a book. Words to me are an important and [...]

Blackbird Full Circle

Page in my altered hymnal 11/02/07:

Beatles song learned by my son on guitar this past couple weeks:

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn [...]

Contentment

This page in my altered hymnal has a theme of contentment prompted by the latest challenge at Salt.
The words around the edge read: Paul says “for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, to be content.” I desire to be this way all the time, but sometimes contentment eludes me. Then I find it again.
Also [...]

Believe

The latest Salt challenge is the theme, Believe. The text is John 9 about a blind man whose sight was restored. His response, “Lord, I believe.”
This page is also a reflection of my own experience. When I was blind, my world was colorless, dark, lifeless. Now I feel the blood flowing, and although I can [...]

Lent

The latest Salt challenge is Lent. This was a difficult topic for me since I don’t participate in traditional Lenten practices. Although raised in a church that does recognize the season of Lent, I had to do an internet search to refresh my mind on the purpose and intent of Lent.
Lent is a time of reflection [...]

Inspiration for Teacher

For our Keepers of the Faith group, I’ve been teaching an altered books class. The kids are having so much fun with the project. To begin, I got some board books from the thrift store and covered them all with gesso. The kids had a blank book to fill. Below are a few sample pages [...]

Symbiosis

Front:

Back:

My husband’s Christmas present was also my first piece of art outside of a book. Although I did prepare a canvas, I ended up using the cover of a book instead. The words in ink read Symbiosis: the living together of two dissimlar organisms, such as you and I. The highlighted text on the page reads [...]

Life Collage

The ecology teaching went great on Thursday. We made a craft without purchasing supplies using the ornament idea from Bella Dia.
Lazer tag was extremely fun last night. My birthday girl was high score shooter for 2 of the 3 games we played.
And a very fun discovery was made this morning during my son’s Christmas Program rehearsal. [...]

Art Every Day #11 – Here Am I, Send Me.

I’ve had an idea for this page for over a year now. It feels good to finally get it out. After I started working on the page, I reread the text it is based on. Mental note, always refresh my memory before beginning. I had forgotten that seraphims are male and have 6 wings.
Isaiah 6:1-8 In [...]

Art Every Day #8 – I’ll Fly Away

The topic of my hymnal page is deep. The girl behind bars is my sister in Christ. I first met her in my neighborhood about a year ago. She is not only jailed physically right now, she has been imprisoned emotionally and spiritually her whole life. I desire for her to be free. She is [...]

Art Every Day #6 – Tracing the Lines

Today I am beginning to feel a bit achy and tired. Although I have ideas for an exciting page, I don’t have the energy to do it. Therefore I tore a face from a magazine and traced the lines. I’m hoping that someday the lines in a face will just flow from my fingers. Until [...]

Art Every Day #4 – You Ring My Bell

I’m in love.
amanda ∞

Art Every Day #2 – Creation

The trees on my nature hike really had an impact. I’ve been wanting to complete the Creation theme for the Salt challenge a couple weeks ago. Today was the day as I completed my art for the day.
The book print is actually a cut-out of an extremely old Bible that no longer has a binding. [...]

Jesus is Lord

The latest challenge at Salt is Jesus is Lord. The Biblical text used is from John 8: 2-11:
John 8:2-11 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. (3) And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman [...]